Promise
by kenihiko
Summary: SPOILER ALERT: BASED ON THE LATEST CHAPTER OF BLEACH 497 shunsui is badly injured. and what follows next. later chapters may get stronger ratings.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: _**_based on the latest chapter *497*_

_i do not own the characters of this story all mistakes are mine alone. i make no profit from the writing of this story._

* * *

Promise

Two things flitted across his mind as he lost consciousness. First: he was glad the fight was over and they had won (once again) and the second: Nanao-chan was going to kill him.

A very haggard looking Retsu Unohana smiled tiredly at him when he finally woke up. "How are you feeling Kyoraku-san?"

He sighed, "Like someone jabbed a hot poker in my head, but otherwise alive."

"That's to be expected." She patted his arm comfortingly "I'm afraid that your eye..."

He stopped her mid sentence. "I already know; it's an acceptable loss."

He wasn't expecting the smack that landed on the other side of his face. "How can you say that, Taicho?"

"Nanao-chan?" he turned to glance at her.

"How can you say that's an acceptable loss, Taicho?" her face was angry and tear-stained.

"Yare, yare Nanao-chan, we're still alive aren't we?" he reached out to brush away a lingering tear, "that's all that matters, one little eye is nothing in the grand scheme of life."

"You're an idiot..." she frowned then added, "Sir."

He chuckled quietly, "It'll be alright, I promise."

A small thunder cloud passed over her face. "You also promised you'd come back uninjured, yet just look at you," she huffed. "Just like you promised to come back with the fight against Aizen uninjured."

"You never keep your promises," she grumped; crossing her arms and glancing to the side.

"I'm alive aren't I?" He reached out for her hand. "Isn't that more important than one little eye?" he glanced over at Unohana and attempted to sit up. "Am I free to leave?"

Nanao gasped loudly, and Retsu let out a tired, frustrated sigh. "If you must, but you should rest more."

"Taicho...you're badly hurt, you should just stay here."

"I'm just taking up needed space," he looked at Unohana, "if I stay in my room will that be alright?"

She nodded and added, "As long as you have someone nearby in case you need anything, and someone from fourth will be dispatched right away." She let out a tired sigh, "truth is we do need the room, I have patients in the hallways and a free bed will be most welcome."

Although it was unnecessary he leaned on Nanao's shoulder as they made their way to his quarters. "How bad is it?"

"Sir?" she cast a sidelong glance his way. "You mean the eye?"

"No, soul society," his head began to ache just a little more, "how bad are the losses?"

She bit her lip tightly, "it's bad." Sliding the door open to his room she guided him to his futon and waited patiently for him to lie down. "We lost a lot of shinigami."

"Any captains?" she nodded and turned away. "Tell me."

"Sir..." she hesitated, not really wanting to say anything. "Hitsugaya-taicho, Kurotsuchi-taicho, and... oh gods," she covered her face, "also Yamamoto-soutaicho"

"So Yama-jii's gone...who's in charge now?" He rolled onto his left side.

"Right now Ukitake-taicho is taking care of things." she pulled the cover up over his shoulder. "But he's wearing himself out." she fussed with a crease in the cover. "And Unohana-taicho is exhausted too."

"There's other captains left."

"Yes sir, but most are injured, or..." she hesitated again. "Not interested in taking control." she sat beside his bed. "I hate to say it, but I think it's going to come down to you being in charge."

He let out a loud groan, "Somehow I knew it would come to that."

"Rest now sir, Ukitake-taicho said he can hold on for at least another day baring any further problems."

Shunsui Kyoraku patted the knee of his lieutenant and closed his remaining eye, "To a better tomorrow, eh Nanao-chan?"

"I swear I'm gonna smack you around more when you wake up, just for making me worry like this." she grumbled at him, "Sir."

He smiled softly as he drifted off to sleep. Nanao wandered over to the large overstuffed chair in the corner of his room and curled up in its cushiony softness. She reached out and lit the small table lamp, then picked up one of the many books piled on the table. Somewhere, somehow she fell sound asleep, and failed to hear the footsteps as they entered the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Promise

Pt 2

The day dawned brightly as Juushiro Ukitake stretched his arms over his head and listened to several joints pop loudly along his spine.

Things were quiet now, hopefully safe. He said a little prayer that it would remain so for a very long time.

Soul society was going to take a long time to recover from this mess. He stepped out onto the balcony of the office of squad one. It was hard to imagine that their beloved sensei was gone. He cringed at the thought of how many they had lost this time. Yes it was going to take a very long time to recover.

A quiet knock sounded on the large doors and he acknowledged it to grant permission for entry. He watched as an obviously exhausted Retsu Unohana entered and eased herself into a seat.

"I imagine you're as tired as I am," he stated. "You have my thanks for keeping me updated on how things were going."

She nodded solemnly.

"You're here to order me to bed, aren't you?" He looked a bit chagrined. Once more she simply nodded. "I should say the same for you." That got a weak chuckle from her.

"We both do indeed need to sleep."

"Hopefully things won't blow up around us," he tried to joke.

"Go to bed Juushiro, I plan on doing the same," she stated, "once Kyoraku-san wakes up we need to get things in order."

"You mean Kyoraku-soutaicho?" The chuckle left his mouth before really meant it to. "He's going to hate everything about it."

"I believe he already knows it has to be done."

They glanced at each other and smiled. Moving to the large doors Juushiro gave a nostalgic pat to the gilt wood. "I don't think I'd want the job to be honest."

The closed the doors together and set a kido lock on them, to keep the room safe and sealed in the mean while.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

[Shunsui's room]

The sound of soft murmuring voices finally filtered though Nanao Ise's sleepy brain. She started awake and sprang up, ready to defend her injured captain.

Much to her surprise Kyoraku-taicho was sitting up and eating breakfast, but also the person who was sitting next to him was her beloved idol, Lisa-sama. Nanao finally broke down sobbing. The stress from worrying about his injury and, now Lisa here in front of her was almost more than she could handle.

"Nanao-chan" Shunsui's deep voice called out to her. "Come here," he held out a hand and beckoned her forward.

Without even a second thought she flung herself forward, landing between the two of them. Both Kyoraku-taicho and Lisa-sama petted and patted her comfortingly. When she calmed down she scrubbed her face on her captain's sleeve, not caring in the least about getting it covered in snot and tears.

Lisa pulled her into a tight hug. "I can't believe how much you've grown, Nanao-chan!"

"I can't believe you really are alive,"

Shunsui pursed his lips playfully, "I told you she was," he moped, "why don't you ever believe me?" He let out a pained laugh when both women rolled their eyes at him.

"How long have you been here?" Nanao finally pushed out of the embrace.

"Several hours," Lisa stated. "I even made some breakfast." She made a sweeping motion over the tray of food. "Have some if you're hungry."

Nanao picked up a piece of toast and nibbled.

Shunsui sat back with an amused look on his face, one Lisa was sorely tempted to smack away. Noticing her scowl, he smiled broadly at her. "What?"

"You! You're having perverted thoughts again!"

"Always." he teased.

Lisa Yadomaru sighed, "You'll never change will you?"

"I'd like to think that I won't." He grinned more.

"Stubborn, perverted old goat," Lisa muttered under her breath.

Nanao choked on her bite of toast, "Wha... Lisa-sama?" The other two laughed and Shunsui patted her on the back.

Lisa gave him a sly, sideways glance, "So what were you thinking about?"

"What a happy man I am right now,"

Nanao frowned a bit, "How can you still be happy with what happened to you?"

He chuckled, "Not that silly Nanao-chan, I'm living the greatest dream of my life right now."

Both women eyed him suspiciously.

"I've got both my lovely girls in my bed, waiting on me hand and foot," he wiggled his eyebrow suggestively, "what more could a man want?" he was ducking out of the way before their fists even started to move.

"I'm so loved!" he crowed happily.

"Taicho!" they both growled sternly. Nanao latched on to several finger-full's of leg hair and yanked, while Lisa balled up her fist and punched his bicep. He let out a loud yelp of discomfort.

Lisa eventually pointed to his face, "What are you going to do about the eye?"

"Enjoy my rakish good looks?"

She punched his arm again, "Orihime-chan could fix it, maybe."

Shunsui sighed deeply as he thought about it. "Retsu said there was no help for it, and I've come to peace with that." He scratched at his whisker covered chin. "Besides, just think of all the attention I'll get from the ladies with an awesome eye-patch." Nanao gave a sharp tug on the leg hair again, and Shunsui flinched.

"You're really alright with it?" Lisa inquired.

He nodded and ruffled her hair affectionately earning a fierce scowl. "Perhaps it's a requirement of a Soutaicho to have visible battle scars." he shrugged nonchalantly, "it certainly can't hurt any."

"Speaking of which," he slid out of the bed and made his way to where his spare uniforms were kept, "unless you want to see things you probably shouldn't I suggest you leave, I need to dress and get to my new office."

Lisa muttered quietly, "Not like I haven't seen it all," but left anyway, dragging Nanao along with her.

Before she was shoved out the door, Nanao blurted out, "Are you sure you're able?"

"Able or not, Nanao-chan it has to be done." he answered.

Lisa hugged Nanao when she noticed the deeply sad look that crossed her face. "Come on and show me your room, do you still read a lot?"

Distracted slightly, Nanao nodded and lead the way to her quarters.

Shunsui let a deep, tired sigh escape when he felt their reiatsu lessen the farther away from his room the two women got.

"Right! Now, into the fire from the frying pan." He shunpo'd to the Captain-commander's – now his office, and released the kido seal that Ukitake and Unohana had set earlier.


End file.
